Christmas Proposal Read online

  Always know the battleground.

  Moving fast, she checked the walk-in closet, taking note of the way all his clothes were arranged in order inside the closet. She could easily find his clothes by color and material. The door beside it led her to the bathroom, where his toiletries were organized by height inside the cabinet. Under the sink, she found his electric razor and neatly folded towels as well as toilet paper and soap. Seeing everything in its proper place sent her warning signals. She hated order.

  The mirror doors of the bathroom reflected her image. She remembered she needed to change before the five minutes he gave her were up. With economical movements, she changed her clothes. At the doorway, she smiled at the sight of her clothes and things scattered throughout the room.

  * * * *

  Armand waited on the sofa, wondering how long she'd take to finish dressing. He made a mental note to buy condoms on their way to dinner. They can pass by an all-night place, so she could her buy her personal things as well. He calculated she would be here about a month and she would need many things. Dinner would be the perfect opportunity to learn all the details of her scheme, and he could then set his plan in motion. He didn't really need a wife, but it would be fun to have one for a month, in every sense of the word, except the ring and papers. And at the end of the month, he'd be enjoying his single life and freedom once more.

  Soft steps from the stairs roused him from his thoughts. He turned, and the sight of her left him breathless.

  Josephine wore a soft pink dress showing her curves and giving her a most feminine appearance, contrary to the childish one he noticed on most women wearing pink clothes. Her chest was sprinkled with freckles, which surprised him, and the desire to kiss each one of them assaulted him fiercely. He felt the urge inside his pants and made an effort to control it, so he could follow his plans through instead of taking her right there. He concentrated instead on looking her over, noting her thin arms and long, long legs. Her sandals matched her clothes and she carried no purse, which surprised him somewhat. All the women he knew always carried a purse.

  "I'm ready,” she assured him and they left for dinner. He walked behind her, enjoying the motion of her hips. His member inflamed with each thought of her. He would have her by the end of the night, of that he was sure.

  * * * *

  After stopping at a twenty-four-hour pharmacy to buy some needed items, they headed toward the restaurant.

  The chatter of the diners welcomed them as soon as they entered the main doors of the restaurant. Since Armand went there on a daily basis, he glimpsed a few familiar faces. The sounds of plates, glasses and utensils clinking against each other surrounded them. The waiters moved from one side of the room to the other, serving the people and keeping themselves as invisible as they could. The reception area held a few families waiting to be seated. The hostess behind the podium looked at him and smiled pleasantly.

  "You're late tonight, sir. Same place?” she asked with a Latin accent. Seeing Josephine beside him, her eyes widened in surprise. In the six years he'd frequented the place, he never took a partner with him, only colleagues in business meetings. At times, he would join his brother, who was also a frequent visitor to the restaurant.

  "No, not tonight, Carmen. I need a place for two in the open, if possible. Can you arrange that?” He knew the restaurant had some tables on the terrace, but no customers were allowed there. It was a place reserved for important visitors who were accorded special treatment from the owners of the place.

  "I think I can. Wait for me here while I make the necessary arrangements.” She hurried inside a door he never saw used, completely ignoring the customers or employees on her wake.

  He focused on Josephine, who looked tense at the way the waiting couples were staring at her. Her own guilty conscience was at work. They could be any normal couple coming to enjoy dinner together. He heard her gave an audible sigh when she noticed the hostess walking back toward them.

  "Come with me, please.” Carmen led the way in front of them, the menus cradled in her arms.

  The buzz of conversation drifted to murmurs and then silence as they entered the main dining area. Diners turned and stared at them as they progressed through the room. Armand heard a fork clatter against a plate. A waiter on his way to the kitchen with plates piled high on his tray somehow seemed to lose his balance when he saw Armand. The plates fell to the floor and shattered.

  Armand wondered what the commotion was all about. After all, he came by every evening to have dinner here, although since Rebecca died, it was just him. Maybe people weren't used to seeing him with a woman. He shifted uncomfortably. Damn. He wasn't so comfortable with it himself.

  After what seemed a long trek through the dining area, they finally reached the terrace. He helped Josephine to be seated and ordered a bottle of wine as well as some appetizers. He watched her intently, while she scanned the menu. His eyes drifted to the lines on her forehead, clear signals of a permanent frown. For such a young woman of around twenty-five to twenty-eight, there shouldn't even be any lines on her forehead yet. His hands ached with the desire to caress them and make them disappear. He noticed her brows arching in surprise and wondered if it was due to the prices in the menu. He smiled at her reaction.

  "I can't eat here!” She glared at him. “I can feed most of the children with what they charge you for a meal. And make it food for a whole day. I currently have 10 children and three employees."

  His smile did not falter and color rose to her cheeks. She reached for the cup of water and ducked, presumably to hide her face.

  Armand watched as her lips touched the cup, noting a drop of water which escaped her lips, slid down her neck and all the way down her chest until it disappeared between her breasts. He wanted to follow the same path, desire raging in his body. He swallowed hard and cleared his throat.

  "Let's talk business while you decide what you want to eat for dinner,” he stated, trying to remain calm. “Tell me first about your situation, which must be so dire as to prompt you to make a reckless decision."

  A shadow obscured her eyes at his statement. She inhaled deeply before speaking, “I did consider everything before making my move. If you didn't accept my proposition, I was ready to set up my tent outside your house until you deigned to talk to me."

  He smiled at the memory of her taking the suitcase from his front door. “So, you were ready to camp on my porch?"

  She focused her eyes on the menu. “That was a prudent measure. I know about your...” she stopped in mid-sentence as though looking for a more appropriate word, before she blurt out, “background."

  He laughed for the first time in years, surprising himself and making her look at him. The sound of his laughter reverberated all around him. He couldn't stop laughing at the rumors of his supposed sexual activities, when he hadn't been with a woman, intimately or otherwise, for over five years. “I wonder where you find such information. I don't know who told you such lies, but it's not accurate."

  "Inaccurate or not, you acted as I expected. Well, not quite, but you looked at me as you would any female.” She raised her eyebrows in challenge, daring him to deny the fact.

  "You're a beautiful woman, and I looked at you as any male would.” He sent her a smoldering look, and heat crept up her neck to her cheeks. Time for that later. He needed to know something first. “Now, back to business. You must want something badly to go to all these trouble. Why don't you tell me what it is?” He put on his serious mask as he looked at her.

  "About a month ago, your lawyers gave us an ultimatum to vacate the building. We could've found another place to move to, given enough time, but with Christmas so near, there are no vacancies practically anywhere. The children would be homeless again!” A breath caught in her throat. She calmed herself and went on, “Children's Heaven take in children who have nobody else in the world. Orphans, each one of them. They lived on the streets until we, my employees and I, rescued them. We went through the system and gain
ed their custody. One of the terms mandated by the judge was that the children should have a permanent home. But now, your people want us out so that you could build a commercial building!” Her voice increased with each word, her passionate defense of her cause and fierce spirit surprised him.

  His active mind went through the list of the most recent projects. None of them included a commercial building, unless it was included in the release he signed to his brother. If that were the case, he wouldn't be able to do much to help her out. “How long you have been renting the place?” He noticed the rising of her chest while she sighed in relief, as though some burden was removed from her shoulders.

  "Almost five years, which is the minimum time allowed for the tenants to claim some kind of right over the property. I think that's what you don't want to happen. Almost every tenant received the same ultimatum from your lawyers.” She kept her eyes focused on his face, as though watching his reaction.

  Armand tried to look for an explanation to her words. He'd heard awhile back about some business his brother was dabbling in to raise money to pay for gambling debts. He didn't believe it at that time, since he thought it was another of Joseph Beneful's scheme to destroy the already weak relationship between them.

  Joseph Beneful was co-founder of the company with their father, with each owning fifty percent of the company. When their father had died, Armand and Frank each inherited twenty-five percent of the company's stocks. In recent years, Armand had heard rumors that Joseph wanted to grab the remaining shares from either of the Schmitt brothers in order to gain the controlling vote. Armand didn't believe it at first, but now he wondered.

  He determined to investigate this further, but for tonight, he wouldn't let it affect him and detract his attention from the woman in front of him. “So, say I help you keep your tenancy. What will you give me in exchange?” He arched a brow in a questioning gesture and moved his hands behind his head to relax in his chair. She'd already agreed to grant him sexual favors, but he just wanted to play her along, to see if she'd renege on her promise. He could see from her facial expression she was debating what to say, and he was surprised—not so unpleasantly—by her audacity when she blurted out, “I want a contract."

  "You're asking for too much.” He dropped his hands on the table and sat straight on his chair. He leaned forward, his menacing stance meant to let her know he wouldn't tolerate any argument from her. “You'll sleep with me in my bed, from this night until December 24. You're not allowed out of the house without me and you'll do whatever I ask you. I don't want you to be dealing with business, and the only contract I will sign is not with you, but with my lawyers and investors. I'll stop the dealings on your building right away, but I have the power to make them start once more if I want. Understood?"

  He could see she wanted to argue, but for some reason, she stopped and visibly swallowed. Her mouth opened, then closed, then opened again. “I agree.” Her words were almost inaudible, as if they'd been said at great cost to herself.

  The waitress arrived and took their orders. As soon as she left, music filtered out through one of the windows. Armand stood and extended an inviting hand to Josephine, who accepted it, after an almost imperceptible hesitation. His hand held hers in a firm grip, while the other surrounded her waist and settled in the middle of her back. Their eyes locked and the impulse to kiss her lips grew. His body urged him to take her, God knew he wanted to, but his mind and heart cried for caution. After his experience with Rebecca, he'd promised himself not to get involved with any woman again. However, something prompted him to act toward Josephine, something he couldn't understand.

  He released her hand in order to clasp both his hands at her back and pulled her closer against his body. His nose captured her womanly fragrance and the light odor of chamomile in her hair. With all the stimuli, his cock hardened and pressed against his boxers. She stiffened at the feel of his erection against her belly, but she didn't utter a word of protest.

  Armand tightened his embrace and moved her even closer to him, while his mouth moved below her ear and stroked the soft skin of her neck. She sighed, urging him for more. He licked and nibbled until a pleasured moan escaped her lips.

  The door leading to the terrace opened, and the sensual mood was broken. A waitress carried the food outside, but Armand kept his hold on Josephine's waist for a few moments, allowing them both to regain their composure before breaking apart and moving toward their table. They ate in silence. Their eyes locked a few times during the meal, but neither offered a word.

  Chapter Three

  "Let me go up for a moment to prepare the bedroom. Meantime, you can explore the rest of the house and familiarize yourself with the layout, since you'll be living here with me for about a month."

  Her eyes followed him as he climbed the stairs. She knew it was only an excuse, but she was glad because she needed a few minutes to herself as well.

  She wondered how they would manage the awkward situation. It was obvious he wouldn't try anything tonight. At least, that's the impression she got from his silence during dinner and his attitude upon arrival. Something turned him off during their dance and she surprised herself by wanting to know what it was.

  She removed her shoes, and felt the carpet underneath her feet, a sensation she wasn't used to. She moved around the living room, noticing the decoration for the first time. An oil painting sat over the chimney, depicting a couple on a picnic together, set against a nature background. Focusing on the painted couple, she was startled to see the life-like figures and thought they looked familiar, but she couldn't place them. Two big flower pots containing small-grown shrubs were situated on either side of the chimney, giving the room a sense of masculinity. Still, it was obvious a woman decorated the room by the way the white sofa contrasted with the champagne-colored carpet and curtains.

  Much as she enjoyed the softness of the rug under her feet, she decided it was time to get things over with. After all, he was a handsome devil. If the rumors were right, she would find the experience very enjoyable, which scared her, because what if she didn't want to leave?

  * * * *

  Armand noticed the woman's clothes beside his own in the closet, and his heart constricted at the memory of his past. It had been five years since Rebecca had passed away, and he still wasn't used to her absence. Loneliness swamped him, and he decided to use Josephine as a means to forget his past. He'd meant to start their bargain tomorrow, but he needed her tonight.

  He should've gone down to fetch her and commence their delicious contract, but something was stopping him. Fear of letting another woman into his life, no matter how short the time?

  His mind clouding with many emotions, he first went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, trying to ignore the fact that his medicine cabinet would soon be cluttered with feminine things, at least for one month. He smelled the familiar bathroom fragrance and relaxed. Maybe everything would remain the same. They'd mark a demarcation line over which she couldn't—wouldn't be allowed to—cross.

  He removed his clothes and, for a moment, sat on the left side of the bed, remembering how it felt to have a woman in the house. Getting used to her scent wouldn't be the difficult part. He'd always liked hearing the sound of Rebecca showering when he woke up and the aroma of the brewing coffee in the mornings. The quiet nights of holding a woman in his arms again, that would be the difficult part, because he'd think of Rebecca and the past.

  A tap on the door startled him. “Come in!"

  Josephine entered the room and looked around for him. A heat of red swept up her neck when she caught sight of him naked on the bed. His cock stirred.

  Seeing her vulnerability, he softened and made up his mind. “Come here.” He extended his arm in invitation.

  She shut the door behind her and closed the distance between them, pausing to stand in front of him.

  He took her by the waist and placed her on his lap while gazing into her eyes. He surprised himself by not wanting this to be just sex.
He wanted a connection with this woman in his arms. The mixture of soft brown color and caramel of her eyes reminded him of honey, harvested from the wild bees of the forest. It would be so easy to lose himself in them as he did in her lips earlier.

  Her eyes fluttered close as his lips met hers and moved languidly over her softness, nibbling, savoring. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and a fight of wills started. He wanted her to be submissive while she wanted to conquer.

  He was a bit disappointed when she stopped kissing him, and her mouth moved to his neck which she explored thoroughly with her tongue. She kissed and licked him behind his ear, her lips moving softly and leaving a wet trail. Her teeth caught his lobe, biting gently. His heart beat increased and a groan formed in his chest and slipped through his lips. His hold on her waist tightened when she moved to stand, not wanting the heat of her body away from his own. His hand tangled in her dress and it ripped, baring her body to his gaze. The tearing sound was sexy and satisfying as well as the sight of her nakedness.

  Her bra, a sensual combination of silk and lace did nothing to hide the pink buds of her nipples, which were erect with her desire. Nostrils flaring, he bent his head and licked around the aureole of her left breast before gently sucking the tip and moistening the delicate cloth. He felt a shiver run through her body, and he used his other hand to give attention to her other breast. Her hands plowed through his hair, and she let out a cry of pleasure when his mouth moved on to her other breast.

  His lips moved downward, licking and nibbling her abdomen while his hands removed the rest of her dress and underwear and left them in a heap on the floor. Her well-shaved pussy welcomed his teasing tongue, and he licked and bit softly on her fat nether lips, his tongue playing with her clit, teasing the hardening bud softly. One of his fingers slipped into her moistened passage, and he couldn't believe how tight and wet she was. Her breath became fractured and almost painful when he inserted another finger into the tight passage. Her legs gave away and she fell onto his lap. He captured her mouth again, kissing her deeply and passionately while he held her by the hips.